Fire, Conch Shell, And The Beast In Lord Of The Flies

Will Schoenberger

Rotation 7

Existentialism

Mid Term Paper (Lord Of the Flies)

The Signal Fire, Conch shell, and the Beast in “Lord of The Flies” are the most important, meaningful symbols in the book that most closely relate to the entirety of the book’s meaning. Throughout “Lord Of the Flies” there have been many symbolic items, gestures, and people. Symbolism is really the main purpose of the book. Lord of The Flies tries to symbolize human nature, including the civilization and savagery that goes along with it, as well as diplomacy (amongst other things) in a simpler way. Among all of the Items, people, and gestures that contain symbols, the Fire, conch shell and Beast most closely relate to the main point of the book and Human nature

The signal fire burns on the mountain, and later on the beach, to attract passing ships that might be able to save the boys. Because of this, the signal fire becomes a bacon of the boys’ hope, and their last connection to civilization before the primal laws of human nature are tested. The signal fire really acts as a kind of measurement of the strength of the civilized thinking remaining on the island. In the early parts of the novel, the fact that the boys maintain the fire is a sign that they want to be rescued and return to society. When the fire starts to burn low or goes out, the boys lose sight of their desire to be rescued and have basically accepted their savage lives on the island. Ironically, at the end of the novel, a fire finally attracts a ship to the island, but it wasn't the signal fire. Instead it is the fire fueled by savagery, the forest fire Jack’s followers start as part of the quest to hunt and kill

The imaginary beast that frightens all the boys stands for the savagery that exists with all people. The boys are afraid of the beast. However only Simon realizes that they fear the beast because it exists within each of them. As civilization exists the island life and savagery replaces it, their belief in the beast grows stronger. By the end of the book, the boys are leaving it sacrifices such as the pig head. Each one of the boys truly becomes the beast as they try to kill Ralph. Their behavior is what brings the beast into existence, so the more savagely the boys act, the more real the beast seems to